The World's Longest Public Artwork

Illuminated River is the first artistic and cohesive vision for the central Thames bridges, celebrating them as architectural, social and historical landmarks, and creating a symbolic link across the capital. At 3.2 miles in length, it is the longest public art commission in the world. Free and publicly accessible for all to enjoy, Illuminated River transforms the experience of the city at night, and defines the bridges as renewed civic spaces for Londoners.

For Illuminated River, Leo Villareal has worked with cutting edge LED technology to 'paint with light', producing sequenced patterns that subtly unfold across the Thames bridge structures. He has engaged with the site of each bridge, respecting and revealing their unique architectural features and historic identities, while referencing the river as a continuous living system.

The realisation of Illuminated River has involved a unique collaboration of London's creative talent, statutory bodies and local communities, leaving a lasting legacy for the capital in the form of a dynamic public artwork. The artwork is the result of one of the most detailed and extensive pan-London planning processes the capital has ever seen involving five different bridge owners and spanning seven boroughs. It has been developed in consultation and collaboration with over 50 organisations on and around the river, and seven local authorities from whom 30 planning permissions and 18 listed building consents have been granted.

London's status as an international capital with a vibrant night-time economy is reflected in the scale of this project, which invigorates and supports the existing nightlife of central London around the Thames. Illuminated River enriches the experience of travelling along and across the river at night, at street level, on foot and by boat, and encourages Londoners and visitors to use the river - currently the city's most under-used artery - as a means of transport as commuting tends to decrease after dark.